Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / Oct. 7, 2009, edition 1 / Page 3
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Wednesday, October 7, 2009 {The Blue Banner} UNC Asheville athletic fee raises $700,000 more than five years ago Athletic director says extra money helps fund everything from travel to insurance By Jason Howell Staff Writer JDHOWELL@UNCA.EDU UNC Asheville’s athletic department should raise about $700,000 more this year from student fees than it did in the 2004-05 academic year, something Athletic Direc tor Janet Cone described as a necessity for a program that receives no state funding. “I have to make clear that we receive no funding from the state of North Caro lina,” Cone said. “We have to make bids to the school for student fees, which make up part of our budget.” According to a financial disclosure report UNCA filed with the NCAA for the 2004- OS academic year, student fees contributed $1,303,488 to the athletic department’s budget. About 3,100 students paid fees that year, according to UNCA officials, mean ing the athletic fee averaged about $419 per student. UNCA projects that 3,301 students will be eligible to pay fees this year, according to Archer Gravely, director of institutional research. The athletics fee rose to $605 per student, meaning student fees should con tribute $1,997,105 to the athletic depart ment. The athletic fee is the second highest of seven fees students pay, but is justified be cause of all the expenses it covers. Cone said. “We have a number of expenses to con sider as we balance our budget. I’ll be np front in saying that we’ve had to raise money to get our coaches the pay they de serve,” Cone said. Coaches and athletic staff receive raises when other university personnel do, ac cording to Cone. Cone also said her department spends part of student fees on the secondary in surance UNCA requires the athletic depart ment to carry for its athletes. Other expenses include sports medicine and injury treatment, payment for home- game officials and athletic grounds main tenance, she said. It also costs money to make sure our student athletes travel safely,” Cone said. Special consideration goes into making travel decisions, Athletics Budget Man ager Judith Bohan said. Our teams not only travel safely, but ec onomically by choosing our trips wisely,” Emily Kerr - Contributing Photographer Student fees pay for athletic travel, sports medicine and injury treatment, home-game officials and athletic grounds upkeep. Bohan said. “We’re not going out to Colo rado or places like that just for the heck of it.” Cone said there is a reason the athletic student fee rate is higher at UNCA than some other colleges. “Because we don’t use state funds, we’re almost like our own nonprofit orga nization,” she said. “Our student fees are higher than UNC or other places because of economy of scale. They have more stu dents, so they can charge less per student but still earn more than we do.” The athletic department also collects funds from the NCAA, the Big South Con ference and private fundraising, according to Bohan. Cone said students can attend upcoming open forums on budget issues, which in clude student fees. Student opinion on the athletic fee var ies. Erin McBee, a 22-year-old student, said finding out what her student fees pay lafTSbannon - Assistant Photography tdilor for surprised her. “This seems unfair that we all have to pay for something only some of us use,” See FEES Page 7
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